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I have been afraid of heat packs. Isn't heat a byproduct of oxygen combustion? Maybe I don't know the proper definitions of the words but, doesn't the use of heat packs deplete available oxygen? Would a styrofoam lined box need to have a hole for air excange with the use of a heat pack?

Linda
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When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teachers appears.

Linda,
...You are right that chemical hand warmers/heat packs work by combining powdered iron in the pack with oxygen from the air which reacts to form iron oxide (rust). This rapid rusting is an exothermic reaction. There is activated charcoal in these packs which provides carbon which is a catalyst for the chemical reaction. I do not know how much oxygen these heat packs consume. The label on the heat packs say they are nontoxic but this does not mean they do not consume oxygen. We used a similar product to heat MREs. It was in a packet a little larger than a hand warmer/heat pack and you added water to it and it got very hot in a hurry. It gave off some noxious fumes as it went through it's very quick exothermic chemical reaction. I think there was a warning on them to not use them inside a tightly enclosed area. If you look at the heat packs you will see that some are good for 6 hours and some are for 10 and some are for 18 and some are for 24 hours. Superior Industries, the reptile packaging and shipping supply gurus also sell some 48 hour heat packs. I would guess that the longer duration packs consume oxygen more slowly than the short lasting ones

...I put very small airholes in all of my styrofoam lined shipping boxes. Many people do not put airholes in their shipping boxes and I have not heard of them having any problems. Our shipping boxes without any holes intentionally punched in them may seem air tight but they are actually far from being airtight. Most shipments of reptiles go on aircraft. If the styrofoam lined box was perfectly sealed and airtight it would explode as the aircraft climbs to altitude due to the pressure differential. The cabin on airliners is pressurized but they are only pressurized to a pressure equivalent to an altitude of around 9 or 10 thousand feet. The pressure differential between sea level and 10 thousand feet is very great and this would overcome the strength of our styrofoam lined cardboard boxes. Even without any airholes punched in the boxes much of the air inside the boxes leaks out during the climb to altitude and more air is forced back in during the descent. I think the airholes I punch in my shipping boxes would only be a seafegaurd if the box was lost somewhere on the ground for a long period of time.

...I shipped snakes to several locations including Colorado, upstate Ney York, and Wisconsin this week. I used 24 hour heat packs in all of those shipments. The snakes arrived a little cold at a couple of those locations. I would have liked to have used two heat packs in each box but it has been very warm here in Savannah and also in Memphis where FedEx sorts all of their air express packages during the night.
Jeff

...I

>>I have been afraid of heat packs. Isn't heat a byproduct of oxygen combustion? Maybe I don't know the proper definitions of the words but, doesn't the use of heat packs deplete available oxygen? Would a styrofoam lined box need to have a hole for air excange with the use of a heat pack?
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>>Linda
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>> When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teacher appears. When the student is ready, the teachers appears.

I'm in the process of getting "approval" from Fed-Ex to ship my animals. However, I'm hearing some contradictory information. Everyone seems happy with the service they get from Fed-Ex even though, on their message machine it clearly says that they only ship animals for zoos. A woman from the company who I spoke with said that I could apply for a waiver that would allow me to ship company to company. I have to send a sample of the packaging I will be using to their facility in Memphis. Does this sound familiar? After I do this, will I be able to use Fed-Ex to ship snakes to people who purchase them from me? I have also spoken to DHL. There is no certification process necessary. Unfortunately, they say they don't ship snakes. I've recieved snakes through the mail with DHL and I've asked representatives from the company about this. They say it's a don't ask, don't tell kind of issue. It's very confusing to me. I'd like to do this the right way. Can anyone offer suggestions? Thanks,

Mike

I got my Guyana RTB shipped from DHL and under what it said it just said pet suplies and he arrived fine. i personaly like DHL for anything with shipping because they're pretty carefull and i have never had anything break with DHL unlike UPS
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1.0.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.0.0 Yellow Anaconda
0.1.0 Suriname Red Tail Boa
1.0.0 Guyana Red Tail Boa
0.0.1 Eastern Hognose
1.0.0 Cat

...gosh, after reading that answer I am an expert! Thanks. I checked out store and found a couple of things I need although they didn't have a special snake measuring string.

>>...gosh, after reading that answer I am an expert! Thanks. I checked out store and found a couple of things I need although they didn't have a special snake measuring string.
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